EXTREME MAKEOVER...... Feds Investigqting Senator Stevens of Alaska, the oil whore.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003309.php


Extreme Makeover: Veco Edition
By Laura McGann - May 29, 2007, 12:24 PM

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) jacked his house off the ground, inserted a new first story and placed the old first floor on top, thanks to the help of a top executive at local oil company Veco Corp. who hired at least one key contractor to complete the feat of a job.

Veco is entwined in a broad federal investigation that has led to the indictment of four current and former Alaska politicians and ensnared former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens, son of Ted Stevens. Local press concluded that Stevens was state "Senator B," listed in the charging documents of two former Veco Corp. executives who pled guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges, saying they gave the younger Stevens $242,000 in illegitimate consulting fees.

Neither Stevens has been charged with a crime.

It’s unclear how the senior Stevens’ home doubling is connected to the broader investigation, but the Feds are now eyeing the construction job according to the Anchorage Daily News , which noticed a line in the Veco executives’ plea bargains that could link the senator to the probe:

The sentence, preceded by a listing of a dozen Veco-related enterprises around the world, said: "Veco was not in the business of residential construction or remodeling."

Maybe they dabbled.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. So If This Grows And Sen. Stevens Resigns, What's The Process In Alaska For Replacement?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

2. I believe Governors of states appoint interim Senators and House Reps. eom

[MonkeyFunk]

7. No

Representatives' seats remain empty until an election is held. Senators are replaced by the Governor of the state.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. Thanks for the clarification on the Reps. At least I was right about the Senate seat. In this case

the governor of Alaska is a Republican. :-(

[Bandit]

11. Right and the last Governor appointed his own daughter as Senator

Alaska is one red (corrupt) state. They even brag about it. Those legislators that have been indicted had a club called the Corrupt Bastards Club (with hats and everything) and indeed they were. I hope both Ted and Ben can share a cell together..They are both crooks..

[MonkeyFunk]

8. The same as every other state...

the Governor appoints a replacement. Sarah Palin, a Republican, is governor of Alaska.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. The most recent case of this was in NJ. When Corzine won as Governor, he named Menendez as his

replacement in the Senate.

[Blue_In_AK]

14. We have a special election...

When then-Governor Murkowski appointed his daughter Lisa to fill his senate seat when he resigned, the people of Alaska were very, very ticked off. We voted in the next election not to let that happen again. All future vacancies in the House or the Senate will be filled by special election of the people, not appointments by the gov.

AS 15.40.140. Condition and Time of Calling Special Election.
When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator or United States representative, the governor shall, by proclamation, call a special election to be held on a date not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date the vacancy occurs. However, if the vacancy occurs on a date that is less than 60 days before or is on or after the date of the primary election in the general election year during which a candidate to fill the office is regularly elected, the governor may not call a special election.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. Really? That's Great! Thanks For The Real Answer Blue!

[Blue_In_AK]

16. You're welcome...

I agree with some here who have commented about Alaska's corrupt politicians ... that's what happens when your state is taken over by Big Oil, as no doubt Texas and Louisiana can attest to. However, there is a very strong movement afoot here to clean up the state. Governor Sarah Palin, although a Republican, ran and won on ethics reform, and so far has been doing a great job of attempting to clean up after Frank Murkowski's disastrous term. She is currently enjoying an 89 percent approval rating across the state by both dems and republics and has been sticking it to Big Oil at every opportunity.

Most of us are very happy about the indictments and anticipate more -- most specifically Ben Stevens and hopefully Ted and ESPECIALLY Representative Don Young, who's so corrupt a whole book could probably be written about him.

There's hope for us yet, I think. Do not forget that Mike Gravel was once Alaska's senator and represents what used to be fine and good about this state as far as sticking to one's principles.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. oh that's cool!

good for Alaska for responding to Murkowski's stupid ploy.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Yes, it was a citizens' initiative that was put on the ballot

and we voted for, rather overwhelmingly if I remember right. You have no idea how upset everybody was up here when Frank pulled that stunt. It's surprising to me that Lisa won her election against Tony Knowles in 2004 given the cloud over her appointment in the first place, but somehow she managed to pull it off, mostly through a last-minute push by Stevens warning of how Tony as a Democrat would have to vote with Kerry, Kennedy and -- gasp! -- Hillary. I guess that was enough to scare the die-hards.

Things are changing here, though. We've got a strong batch of Dems waiting in the wings to take Ted's and Don's seats, so keep your fingers crossed for us. VECO's corruption, BP's troubles, Exxon's continuing refusal to pay for the VALDEZ spill, all are taking the luster off the influence of Big Oil which can only be good for Alaska's future, IMO.

[shain from kane]

3. Bridge to nowhere finally led to somewhere.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. I bet that Stevens is hoping that this story will be lost in those darn Internet Tubes! ;) nt

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

4. Time to replace another USAG, I guess. n/t

[Javaman]

6. Due to climate change, mr. bridge to no where's first floor will become

a basement soon when the permafrost finishes thawing. But that's no problem for him, he doesn't believe in climage change.

[rusty_parts2001]

12. Didn't Stevens fall asleep during Clinton's impeachment?

[SoCalDem]

13. His son was under investigation too, IIRC

corruption runs in families